Well-drilling machine



No. 623,l82. Patented Apr. l8, I899.

. A. RUDEFELD.

WELL DRILLING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 30, 1898.)

4 Sheets-Sheet l.

m: nonnls PETERS on. PMOYO-UTHIL. msvws'rou. nv c.

J Z- Patented Apr. 3,1899.

A. BODEFELD.

WELL DRILLING MACHINE.

(Applicatiun fllad Dec. 80, 1898.) (lo Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

w'vmusus wwewcw Patented Apr. 18, I899.

' A. BODEFELD. WELL DRILLING MACHINE.-

(Application filed Deb, ab, 1898 4 $haets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

No. 623,!82. Patented Apr. 18, I899.

A. RODEFELD.

WELL DRILLING MACHINE.

A l'imm filed I) so, 1598.

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7 (Ho Iodal.)

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'Lrwewuw. m'vmessaa v(3 l a uoxmew I l I ma uonms Pnzns coy. PNOTO-LITHQ. wAsmnm'os, 0 cv UNTTED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

AUGUST RODEFELD, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

WELL-DRILLING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,182, dated April 18, 1899.

Application filed December 30, 1898- Serial No. 700,691. (No model.)

To all whom, it ntrty concern.-

Be it known that 1, AUGUST RODEFELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the'county of Wayne and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \rVell-Drilling Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the in vention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates chines.

The object of the said invention is to provide means in a machine of the above class for operating the tools in the well and for automatically turning the tool-rope to keep the hole uniformly round. Heretofore, so far as I am aware, the rope in well-drilling machines has been turned manually bya driller who stands in front of the machine for that sole purpose.

Further objects of the invention are to provide means for controlling the feed of the tool-rope and for manipulating the rope of the sand-pump and other features hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved well-drilling machine. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the other side of the machine, parts being removed. Fig. 3 is a top plan view illustrating the driving mechanism. Fig. 3* is an enlarged side elevation illustrating the tool-rope-feeding devices. Fig. 4isa top plan view of the automatic tool-rope-turning mechanism detached from the machine. Fig. 5 is a front end elevation of said mechanism. 'Fig. 6 is a rear end view of said'mechanism. Figs. 7, S, 9, and 10 are detached views of the reciprocating levers. Fig. 11 is a detached view of the toolrope clamp, showing the same thrown open on its hinges. Fig. 12 is a top view of the porto well-drilling mation of the devices for obtaining a feed of the tool-rope. Fig. 13 is a detached view of spurwheel and crank for driving the pitman connecting the walking-beam. Fig. 14 is a top view of a portion of the intermittent feed devices for the tool-rope. Fig. 15 is a detail of said devices. Fig. 16 is a view of the crank-handle for tm ning the main belt-pulley manually.

Throughout the specification similar refer= ence characters will indicate the same parts of the machine.

The parts 1 constitute a rectangular frame which is mounted on the usual carryingwheels, the gearing being arranged within and supported on the said frame and adapted to be operated by a traction or other engine. Converging braces 2 and 3 are bolted to the frame 1 and are secured by a cross-brace 4,. which holds them firmly. The upper ends of said braces 2 and 3 are joined by an angleplate 5, which supports a sheave 6. The rope-derrick 7 is held in an upright position by suitable guy-ropes with its lower end adjacent to the front end of the machine. A

cross-brace S, bolted to braces 2 and 3, holds said derrick also. Shaft 9, which rotates the reel or Windlass of the tool-rope 10, is mounted on the sides of the frame in journal-boxes 11 and 12, the former of which slides upon rollers and is movable back and forth to bring the bull-wheel 13 in and out of friction-gear with a smaller friction-wheel 14. This movement is accomplished by means of an upright handlever 15 engaging with a segment-rack. The said lever 15 has its lower end pivoted to the side of the frame. An arm 16 is pivoted to the lower portion of said lever and to an upright lever 17, which is also pivoted atits lower end to the side of the frame and has a connection with said sliding box 11. Friction-wheel 14 is on the main driving-shaft 1S and is driven continuously frompower trans-' mitted to pulley 19. On the said shaft 14 there is also a spur-pinion 20, that is mounted on a feather and is movable in and out of gear with a spur-wheel 21. An angular lever 22 (see Figs. 2, 3, and 13) is connected to said pinion and by which said pinion is moved in and out of gear with the spur-wheel 21. The shaft of the latter wheel is mounted in boxbearings on the frame andhas on its inner frame of the machine and connected to braces 2 and 3 by a cross-brace 27. The inner end of the walking-beam has a sheav 28 thereon, around which the tool-rope 18 passes to sheave 29 at the upper end of the derrick. The pulley or sheave 6 is on the center of a shaft that extends across the frame, and when the machine is in operation said sheave is held in place by a collar on each side. The rope 10 passes down from sheave 29 through an arm 30 011 the outer end of the walking-beam. A brake-bar 31, )ivoted to the braces at 32, is adapted to engage and release the rear of the bull-wheel13. This brake has its lower end pivoted to a link 33, which in turn has an adj ustable connection with an arm 34, extending down from the inside of lever 17. Vhen the lever 15 is drawn forward by the hand, the brake 31 releases the said wheel 13 and the said wheel 13 is moved in gear with the driving-wheel 14.

I will next describe automatically-operated mechanism that is set in motion from the walking beam. This mechanism is illustrated in Fig. 3 and consists of a brake 35, which has a pivotal connection to brackets 37 and 38, secured to a side of the frame. The said brake is also pivotallyconnected at its upper end to a bar 38 and is adapted to engage and release the bull-wheel 13 through the following devices or means: The connecting-bar 38 has its forward end pivoted tov an upright lever 39, which has its lower end pivoted to an eyebolt40, secured in the frame. The upper end of the lever 39 terminates at a right angle and is bifurcated to receive a short upright hand-lever 41 and toggle-levers 42 42, of which there are two, inclosing the.

lower end of said hand-lever 41 and having their upper ends pivoted to the arms of said lever 39. (See Fig. 14.) A pin 43 passes through the lever 41 and lies across the upper side of the bifurcated end of lever 39. A link 44 is pivotally attached with the lower ends of the toggle levers or links 42 and the short hand-lever 41. The forward end of link 44 is coupled with a lantern-frame 45, which incloses a coil-spring 46, and is connected to a link 46, which in turn is loosely connected to a bracket 47. Thelever 39 39 is coupled below the bend to a short link 48. This link 48 and an adjustable link or rod 49 are pivoted to the end 50 of a push-rod 51. push-rod is loosely mounted. in a bracket 52, pivotally secured to the samson-post26. The upper end of the link 49 is pivoted to a trippiece 53, which in turn is pivoted to a projection 54 on said Samson-post. (See Fig. 12.)

The trip-piece 53, mounted on shaft 53, is actuated by a snail-cam 55 on each revolution of said cam, and thus an intermittent movementis imparted to the lever 39, connecting-bar 38, and brake 35, and the bull-wliee1 13 is released for an instant and the tool-rope reel permitted to unwind. WVhen the snailcam 55 releases the trip-piece 53, the spring 46 actuates lever 39 and brake-bar 38 to ap- The said ply brake 35 and stop the bull-wheel. The cam 55 is mounted on a shaft 57 in brackets 58 58, secured to a projection 54 on the samson-post. On the other end of this shaft 57 there is a five-toothed ratchet-wheel 59. 60 is a pawl hung on the walking-beam and pulled against said wheel by a spring 61 to engage with the teeth of said wheel upon each upward movement of the inner end of the said beam. By raising the hand-lever 41 over the top of lever 39 to the left the spring 46 will expand and permitlever 39 to be pulled back. By turning the rod 51 one-quarter to the right the notch 62 thereon will slip through the bracket 52. The said bracket turns on a' pin or bolt 63 on the samson-post. By then pullingback on said rod as far as possible and bearing down uponit the lever 39 backs and clears the brake 35. (See Figs. 3 and 15.) Nuts 64 and 65' enable a changing of the grip of the said brake, as it may become necessary to do so according to the drilling to be done.

Describingnext the sand-pump mechanism, 66 designates the cylinder or reel upon which the sand-rope 67 is wound. On the shaft of said reel, which runs in journal-boxes, there is a frictionwheel-GS. The journal-bearing for said shaft at the end on which the friction-wheel 68 is mounted is subject to some movement up and down and is connected with a hand-lever 69, which has its fulcrum on brace 4. the sand-pump is attached to rope 67 and is let down in said well, the weight of the said pump unwinding the rope from the reel. To draw the pump up, the lever 69 is let down. This brings the friction-wheel 68 in gear with wheel 14, which is always in motion while the engine is running, as hereinbefore stated. This will draw up the pump from the well. To stop the wheel 68, the lever 69 is raised. This will elevate the said wheel in contact with the brake 70. WVhen this sand-pump (See'Fig. 1,) To clean the well,

ICC

attachment is not in use, the wheel 68 may be I held out of gear by passing a pin through the lever 69 and brace 71, Fig. 3. As the machine is thus far described it may be operated by manually turning the tool-rope 10; but an important feature of the invention comprises mechanism for automatically turning said rope. This mechanism is illustrated on Sheet 4 of the drawings and is shown in position on the machine in Fig. 1. This mechanism is supported on a frame 7 2, which is detachably connected at one end 73 to the samson-post, and at the other end it is connected in a similar manner to the upper portion of said post by a yoke 74, hook 74, and adjustable turnbuckle 75. The tool rope 10 passes down through a cylindrical rope-clamp madein two halves 76 and 76, which are hingedtogether on one side and are adapted to be closed and secured together around the rope, as shownin Fig. 5. On the inside of said clamp there are antifriction-rollers 77, through which the rope passes, and on the upper end of said clamp there is a spiral gear 78, which is driven by a worm-gear 79 on shaft 80. The ropeclamp is inclosed in the forward end of the frame by means of a hinged bar 81 and semicircular frames 82 82, both said bar and frames having antifrict-ion-rollers 83, against which the rope clamp rotates with a minimum amount of friction to turn the rope. When bar 81 is closed, it may be secured by a pin 84:. Shaft is driven by means of spurwheels 86 and 87. On shaft 88 of the latter wheel there is a small bevel-gear 89, which is driven by a larger bevel-gear 90. The shaft of this last-named wheel has a portion of its length formed into a screw 91. Said shaft is rotatablymounted on the frame, as shown in Fig. 4, and has keyed to it two ratchet-wheels 92 and 93, which are rotatable in opposite directions, whereby reversed movements may be imparted to the gear-wheel 90. Through said wheel 90 similar reversed movements may be imparted to the rope-clamp. As is shown in Fig. 4, the adjoining portions of the peripheries of the wheels 92 and 93 are smooth, as at 94. A rock-shaft 95 is mounted to turn and slide in its bearings. 'An upright piece 95, attached fast to said shaft, carries two pawls 97 and 98, that are adapted to engage alternately with the wheels 92 and 93. When one or the other of said pawls engages with its respective wheel 92 or 93, the other is resting on the smooth surface 94 of its respective wheel, as in Fig. 4-. A rocking movement is transmitted to said shaft from the walking- .beam. 96 isan adjustable connection between said walking-beam and lever 96, the latter being fast on said shaft. (See Fig. 1,also Fig. 6.) Longitudinally-reciprocable movement is imparted to said shaft by means of a system of levers primarily actuated by the screw portion of the shaft 91. These levers are shown disconnected on Sheet 1 of the drawings. 99 is a lever pivoted on one side of the frame and having a loose connection at the other end with a nut on said screw-shaft 91. This nut moving back and forth'on said screw will likewise move said lever. On each side of said lever there is an arm or projection 101, which incloses the sides of a second lever 102. The last-named lever is pivoted on the side of the frame opposite that on which lever 99 is pivoted. The said lever 102 hasa loose connection with a rod 103, which has a pivotal connection with the side of the frame and supports acoil-spring 104. .Lever is similar in form to lever 99 and is pivoted above it at the opposite end. .There projects down from lever 105 two arms or lugs 106, that inclose the sides of lever 102. Lever 105 has a swivel connection with a collar or nut is in constant motion from the walking-beam while the machine is in operation. This motion transmits a rocking motion to shaft 95, which moves the pawls 97 and 98, one of said pawls being in engagement with one or the other ratchet-wheel through the sliding movement which is imparted to said shaft 95 from the screw-shaft 91. Lever 99 is moved back and forth through its connection with said shaft 91. When the nut 100 runs to one or the other end of the threads on said shaft, it

draws lever 99, and arms 101 likewise move lever 102 and spring 104 over the center. The spring will force said lever 102 against arms or projections 106 on lever 105. This movement of lever 105 will move shaft 95, lever 96, and the pawls 97 and 98. Pawl 98, as shown in Fig. 6, will ride on the smooth surface of its ratchet-wheel, and pawl 97 engages with the ratchet-wheel on the other side. The nut 100 is then driven back to the point from whence it started, and the movements of the gearing are reversed. This gives a forwardand-backward movement or a constantly-reversin g movement to the spur-wheels and the rope-clamp 76 76. Lever 108 holds lever 105 by means of the pin 111 and notches until said lever 105 is driven over the center by nut 100, as described.

The above-described rope and tool turning mechanism may be detached, if for any reason such should become necessary, and the machine may then be operated by hand.

To operate the machine, it is placed in a level position and the rear wheels blocked. The lower end of the derrick is placed in front of the machine. The tool-rope is then run off the reel in sufficient length to reach to the top of the derrick and back to the lower end. A portion of the rope is then doubled and twisted. It is then passed over pulley 29. The usual guy-ropes are then hooked onto the top of the derrick. Pulley or sheave 6 is then moved six or eight inches to clear the rope for the walking-beam. The handle shown in Fig. 16 is then fastened to the rim of the driving-pulley 19 for manually turning said pulley. Lever 15 is then drawn toward the operator. This draws the bull-wheel13 onto the friction-wheella and releases the brake 31. Two men may now raise the derrick, or it may be raised by power. \Vhen the derrick is raised, push lever 15 back to apply the brake 31 to hold said derrick until the guy-ropes are fastened. The tools are then screwed together. The engine may then be started and the lever 15 pulled forward again to raise the tools, after which the brake is released and the tools are let into the hole. The engine is then stopped, and the rope is slacked a couple of feet, sheave 6 is placed back on the center of its shaft and the rope placed around sheave 28 on the walking-beam, lever 22 is moved to place the gears 20 and 21 in mesh, and the engine is again started. The operation of the automatic toolturning mechanism has been hereinbefore described. In operating the machine without IIS' this automatic tool-turning mechanism the old-fashioned temper-screw may be hung on the outer end of the walking-beam by means of hooks. These features are old and do not require'any illustration or further description.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In a well-drilling machine, the combination with a reel upon which the tool-rope is wound, a bull-wheel mounted on the shaft of said reel, a friction-Wheel adapted to drive said bull-wheel, of a brake controlling the movement of the bull-wheel, a system of levers connected with said brake, ratchet-andpawl devices actuated periodically by the walking-beam and adapted to actuate said brake at predetermined times to apply and release said brake, and means for moving said bull-wheel in and out of gear with the .friction-wheel, substantially as specified.

2. In a well-drilling machine, the combination with a bull-wheel, and a friction-wheel for driving said bull-wheel, of abrake for controlling the movement of said bull-wheel, a system of levers connected with said brake, a trip-pawl connected to said levers, a cam engaging said trip-pawl at each revolution, a ratchet-wheel mounted on the shaft of said cam, a pawl mounted on the Walking-beam and adapted to impart periodical movements to said ratchet-wheel and cam, whereby the brake is applied to the bull-wheel at uniform periods, and means for shifting the bull-wheel in and out of gear with the friction-wheel, substantially as specified.

3. In a well-drilling machine, the combination with the reel upon which the tool-rope is wound, a bull-wheel on the shaft of said reel,

' a friction-wheel, and means for shifting said ing-beam actuated from said shaft, of a ropeand a plurality of levers controlled by saidrock-shaft and adapted to transmit sliding movements to the rock-shaft, whereby the reversed movements of the screw-shaft are obtained.

5. In a well-drilling machine, the combination with a walking-beam, of a rope-clamp made in two parts and adapted to open and close and engage with a rope, a frame in which said clamp is rotatably mounted, a gearwheel engaging said clamp, mechanism .for imparting reversible movement to said clamp th rough said gear-wheel, and a connection between said mechanism and the walking-beam, substantially as specified.

6. In a well-drilling machine, the combination with a rope-turning clamp, of-a screwshaft, a train of gearing between said ropeturning clamp and screw-shaft, ratchet wheels mounted on said screw-shaft in reversed positions, anut movable back and forth on said screw-shaft, a lever having a loose connection with said nut, a second lever engaged by said first-named lever, the said second lever having a spring connected to its pivotless end to facilitate its movements over the center, a third lever pivoted above said second lever, a transverse lever engaging with said third lever and looking it in its positions, a rotary and longitudinally-movable shaft to which said third lever has a swivel connection, and pawls on said shaft engaging alternately with said ratchet-wheels and imparting reversed movement to the screw-shaft and gearing, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I hereto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUST RODEFELD.

Witnesses:

J. 0. Roman, JOSEPH J. DICKINSON. 

